The Protectors of Earth and Her Colonies Shall Know No Fear
by BuenosDiasChildren
Summary: The UNSC and the Imperium have agreed on hosting an exchange between two Spartans and two Space Marines. What kind of hijinks will ensue? Inspired by the story "Marcius Flavius" on 1d4chan, which means it's going to be slight crack. Rated T for now. Might change to M because of violence.
1. Prologue

**Prologue/Timeline**

**Author's Note:** The reviewer AznMagicMan has brought up an excellent point on how the Imperium would get extremely pissed off at various aspects of UNSC society. I've actually came with background information beforehand that would ensure the IoM wouldn't try to kill the UNSC right away, but I forgot to put it up when I first put up the story. So…here's a rough timeline of events that led up to the story. Also, I'm assuming that Retribution takes place in early M42 and Space Marine takes place 50 years after that.

**Timeline – 40k side**

**000.M42**

A techpriest discovers an STC fragment that appeared to be an add-on for the Golden Throne in the depths of the Martian caverns.

**009.M42**

A Tyranid hive-fleet attacks subsector Aurelia but is destroyed thanks to the leadership of Force Commander Aramus. In the Cadian sector, Imperial troops are slowly gaining ground against Abaddon the Despoiler's ground troops on Cadia.

**010.M42**

Aramus' strike force fends off a Black Legion assault on subsector Aurelia. Avitus is discovered to be the traitor and is slain. After Ulkair's banishment, Kyras declares Aramus a renegade and forbids any mention of his name among the Blood Ravens.

**015.M42**

Five years after Ulkair's banishment, war rages across sub-sector Aurelia. In the midst of the chaos, a small contingent of Blood Ravens still uncorrupted by Kyras consisted of Aramus, Thule, Thaddeus, and twenty other Astartes are commanded by Gabriel Angelos to evacuate Governor Derosa to an unknown location. Abaddon now controls less than 10% of Cadia's surface.

**020.M42**

With a combined force of loyal Blood Ravens, Imperial Guard reinforcements, and an Eldar warhost, Azariah Kyras is defeated on Cyrene, while Ork freebooters hired by the Inquisition wreak havoc across the subsector in order to distract Kyras' forces. Eliphas is resurrected by Abaddon to both eliminate Kyras as a potential rival as well as to wreak further havoc in hopes of distracting the Imperium from Cadia. However, Eliphas is killed for the third time by Apollo Diomedes. A sorcerer in Abaddon's retinue named Nemeroth, dissatisfied with Abaddon's handling of the Black Crusade, convinces some subordinates to munity and forms his own warband.

Gabriel Angelos becomes Chapter Master, and Derosa returns from hiding along with her Blood Raven guards. Chapter Master Angelos enacts numerous reforms, including permanently splitting the offices of Chapter Master and Chief Librarian, the destruction of all Chaos-tainted relics, and more stringent testing for Librarian candidates. Aramus, Diomedes, and Tarkus are rewarded with captaincies for 1st, 3rd, and 4th companies respectively. Thaddeus becomes a vanguard sergeant. Anteas, who accompanied Thule in the Kronus Campaign, becomes Chief Librarian.

**032.M42**

Cato Sicarius is mortally wounded in battle against the forces of Chaos. Sergeant Trajan, a relative of the 2nd Company Chaplain, is promoted to Captain in his stead. Sternguard Sergeants Titus and Sidonus are transferred to 2nd company.

**050.M42**

A Mechanicus explorator fleet discovers a desert planet, tentatively designated to be LVS-1138, in the Ultima Segmentum with ruins that do not match any Imperial databases. Ordo Xenos also fails to identify the origin of the ruins.

**060.M42**

Captain Trajan is killed in battle against the Eldar. Titus becomes Captain of 2nd company.

**062.M42**

A Deathwatch Kill-Team led by a radical Ordo Xenos Inquisitor discovers what appears to be a portal, big enough to barely fit a Land Speeder, deep within the ruins on LVS-1138. Inquisitorial presence on the planet is boosted in order to further study the ruins and the portal.

**070.M42**

A token Ultramarine force consisting of Captain Titus, Sergeant Sidonus, Battle-Brother Leandros, and two Thunderhawks arrive on Graia to liberate the planet from Orks. Titus repels both Ork invaders and a Chaos incursion orchestrated by Nemeroth using a daemon possessing a deceased Inquisitor. The Imperium is able to retake Graia with the help of a liberation fleet as well as Astartes from both the Blood Ravens and Black Templars chapters, but Sidonus and countless guardsmen lose their lives in the process. Captain Titus is investigated due to Leandros' allegations of Chaotic taint but is let go after three days. Leandros is censured. The battle of Graia is noted to be the Blood Ravens' first campaign outside subsector Aurelia since Gabriel Angelos' ascension to Chapter Master.

**071.M42**

The STC is discovered to be several different upgrades for the Golden Throne that was somehow neglected during the Horus Heresy. The Golden Throne is swiftly upgraded in the hopes that it would preserve the Emperor's life. It is discovered that the STC hosts a keyboard as well as a machine spirit dictates the Emperor's typed words into sound. Galaxy-wide celebrations occur. The LVS-1138 portal, which failed to activate despite numerous attempts, suddenly powers up. Four figures carrying autoguns and an unknown make of power armor come out of the portal. Upon detention and questioning, they reveal themselves to be soldiers from a human civilization in a parallel universe. The discovery creates uproars in the upper echelons of the Imperial government. LVS-1138 is locked down. The Emperor, through the Golden Throne's newly found archaotech device, orders the High Lords of Terra to not undertake any Crusades against the human civilization on the other side and forbids any kind of "intervention". The discovery of the interdimensional portal is designated Top Secret and is known only to the High Lords, the upper echelons of the Inquisition, and the Emperor Himself. A Deathwatch Watch Fortress is built over the unidentified ruins to further guard this secret.

**Timeline – Halo**

**2558**

[CENSORED] Spartan-117 [REDACTED] pursuit by Spartan Locke [DATA EXPUNGED] Arbiter Thel 'Vadam [REDACTED] Admiral Osman [DATA EXPUNGED].

**2559**

During a survey mission, an ONI science vessel, escorted by UNSC Infinity, discovers Forerunner ruins on a previously unknown planet on the edge of UNSC space. Survey teams on the surface discover what appears to be a portal that could fit a Warthog. After activating the portal, Fireteam Crimson is sent through to investigate. They return with news of a parallel universe with a galaxy-spanning human empire on the other side. The discovery is classified and is known only to the upper ranks of the UNSC and UEG. ONI establishes a base on the planet to further study the portal. An envoy emerges from the portal and identifies herself as an Inquisitor and a representative of the Imperium of Man. This marks the first of the many "diplomatic visits" between ONI and Inquisitorial representatives.

**Combined**

**2559-2561/071.M42-073.M42**

The information exchanged over a period of two years allows the UNSC and the Imperium to further learn about each other's history and civilizations. Although the Mechanicus and Ecceliarchy are both livid about a human civilization that is both technologically innovative and outside The Emperor's light, The Emperor refuses to retract the order to leave the UNSC alone. Any complaints about the UNSC being allied with former Covenant xenos are made moot by The Emperor's argument that the xenos chose to make peace not because of humanity's weakness, but because of humanity's courage and determination. Ultima Segmentum Lord Commander Vance Stubbs further illustrates the ridiculousness of an Imperial crusade to the UNSC by pointing out that the portal cannot even fit a Valkyrie, let alone a fleet.

On the UNSC side, the UEG is horrified by the Imperium's religious fanaticism which reminded them of the Covenant. However, reassurances from Imperial envoys regarding The Emperor's policy of non-intervention convince the UEG that an alliance could be made with the Imperium of Man. Over a period of two years, representatives from both sides of the portal work out the details to the first exchange between the UNSC and the Imperium of Man, where two Spartans and two Astartes will cross into each other's realms to facilitate cooperation and mutual knowledge sharing.


	2. Arrival

**UNSC Infinity**

Captain Thomas Lasky straightened brushed away the last wrinkle on his uniform jacket as he glanced about Infinity's hangar bay. The mixed honor guard of Marines, soldiers, crewmen, airmen, and even the Spartans from Fireteam Crimson all stood at ease without betraying a single hint of emotion. The Captain felt a small hint of pride for the professionalism of his crew despite the arrival of what are essentially extradimensional humans who, if their propaganda was true, can make even the Master Chief look like a poorly-trained colonial militiaman. Besides him, Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer stood at ease, her face covered by the MJOLNIR armor's helmet. As their guests would be under Palmer's charge, the SPARTAN-IV felt even more nervous than the vessel's CO. An inspection by Lord Hood? She can deal with. A visit by President Charet and the entire UEG cabinet? Piece of cake. A six-month exchange where she would be hosting super-soldiers from an extremely advanced yet religiously fanatical empire the other side of a Forerunner portal discovered two years ago? That could pose some problems. Any further thoughts were dispelled by a sudden signal broadcast through the Infinity's comm channels.

"Infinity. This is Albatross Bravo-322. We will be landing shortly with our guests. ETA 2 mikes. Over."

"Roger that, Bravo-322. Good work and smooth landing. Infinity out."

Soon, the Albatross dropship flew into the hangar bay and touched down on the deck. Lasky, Palmer, and the honor guard snapped to attention.

"Infinity, general salute PRESENT ARMS!" Infinity's Chief of the Boat, Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Zhou called out. The entire honor guard stamped their right feet behind their left and presented their rifles to their front.

The Albatross' doors soon lowered, and out stepped two massive figures. The figure on the right wore an extremely heavy-looking blue power armor decorated with various golden heraldry, including a winged skull on the chest imposed over what appeared to be an upside down omega. A badge depicting a skull over some sort of cross dangled from his waist via a golden chain. A golden skull adorned his right pauldron, while the left shoulder piece sported a double headed eagle, and both had the inverted omega symbol. His white helmet had red eye lenses and sported what appeared to be olive branches painted on the sides. A wicked-looking hammer with electricity crackling on its surface was mag-locked onto his back, while he dragged a dolly behind him that was covered by a tarp. The figure on the left was slightly shorter and wore armor that was less bulky than the one on the right. Even with the lighter kit, however, he was still the same height as the tallest Spartan. He had shoulder-length blonde hair, a goatee, as well as a cybernetic left eye. On his chest and left shoulder was a raven with a blood drop, and the Roman numeral X was stenciled on his right shoulder. From what Palmer can see, he only carried a knife, yet it was the same length as MCPO Zhou's cutlass, and a duffel bag. The figure on the right nodded, put his hands over his chest and formed what appeared to be the same symbol as the double-headed eagle on his shoulder. He then removed his helmet, revealing an approximately middle-aged face with short brown hair and two round metal pins on his forehead. Evidently, he was used to such pomp and ceremony.

"Welcome aboard the UNSC Infinity, Honored Astartes." Captain Lasky addressed them by the name Imperial diplomats referred to the super soldiers as. "I am Captain Thomas Lasky, the commanding officer of this vessel. Beside me is Commander Sarah Palmer, head of the Infinity's Spartan contingent. I hope that your stay here will be pleasant and that this will be the first of many exchanges between the Imperium of Man and the United Nations Space Command."

"Your hospitality is most generous, Captain Lasky. I am Captain Titus of the Ultramarines." The blue-armored Astartes said in an accent that sounded British as the honor guard went back to attention. "My compliments to the pilot for his skills."

"Sergeant Cyrus of the Blood Ravens." The Astartes on the left said.

_This is going to be an interesting experience._ Palmer thought.

**Fortress of Hera**

For the first time since his induction into the Spartan program, Fred-104 was awestruck. The Space Marines that greeted him upon his departure from the Thunderhawk were all massive. Although they seemed to be human, they were about the same size as the Covenant Hunters he faced plenty of times. The armor they wore were so massive, they could be mistaken for miniature Cyclops vehicles from afar. Each carried wicked and massive-looking weapons like double barreled "rifles", Gatling cannons, and even hammers and shields. The central figure, though slightly smaller due to the armor he wore, was still fairly daunting, with two massive fists with what appeared to be machine guns attached to them as well as various iconography on the armor. Then, the central Space Marine began to speak.

"Greetings, Spartan. I am Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. In the Emperor's name, I bid you welcome to our Fortress-Monastery. Come, let us go meet Venerable Dreadnought Sicarius, he will be your guide for the duration of your stay."

**Omnis Arcanum**

Linda 058 brushed a strand of red hair away from her face as she followed the ornately-armored figure with somehow immaculate hair in front of her. After her arrival on the Blood Ravens headquarters, she was greeted by the man as well as four Assault Terminators equipped with hammers and shields. Although she had already read about the Space Marines on the Imperial dataslate provided to her, it was still very intimidating to see a Space Marine, let alone ones in Terminator armor, up close. Her guide did not speak a single word as he led her throughout the halls and into the vessel's inner sanctum. The Spartan sniper was beginning to get slightly annoyed when the figure halted in front of the massive doors. There were some quiet words exchanged with an unseen individual on the other side of the doors, then the doors opened. The helmetless man stepped in first, then Linda, then the four behemoths. The inner sanctum was essentially a throne room, with an ornately-armored Astartes with an uncomfortable number of prosthetics and wires connected to his head seated on the throne and two honor guard Terminators with lightning claws standing guard. The helmetless man and the first company Terminators bowed. Linda, seeing that she should respect her hosts' customs, did the same.

"Thank you bringing her here, First Captain." The figure said in a deep English-sounding voice. "You and your brothers may attend to your duties."

The five Astartes left the throne room, and the Marine on the throne stood up and walked towards Linda, stopping a few paces in front of her.

"Please do not take offence at Brother-Captain Aramus' silence. He prefers to show his devotion to The Emperor through his deeds rather than words." The Space Marine extended his hand to shake Linda's. "That being said, welcome to the Omnis Arcanum. I am Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens."

**Author's Note: This story is inspired by the awesome and hilarious "Marcius Flavius" on 1d4chan. I don't hold the rights to Warhammer 40k or Halo. 40k belongs to Games Workshop, and Dawn of War belongs to SEGA. Halo belongs to 343 Industries and Microsoft. Also, for those you who can catch it, Infinity's CoB uses British Commonwealth drill commands. It's called the UNITED NATIONS Space Command, not American Space Command.**


	3. Introductions

Chapter 2 – Introductions

**UNSC Infinity**

After their arrival, the Astartes were taken to the Infinity's onboard hospital for a quick physical check-up. What the doctors found were quite shocking, as both Titus and Cyrus received augmentations so extensive, they could barely be classified as human. Seeing the shock on the faces of what passed for the ship's apothecaries, Cyrus decided to not bring up what happened to Captain Thule lest the entire apothecarion suffers multiple, simultaneous, and devastatingly deadly debilitating heart attacks.

Afterwards, the ship's AI decided to make a grand introduction by projecting a life-sized avatar of himself in front of the two Space Marines. That turned out to be a horrible idea, as Captain Titus drew his thunder hammer and got ready to strike at the "foul warp daemon" until Lasky explained to him that Roland is not a supernatural entity, but and AI, which would have caused more problems if it weren't for the fact that the information dataslates Titus and Cyrus read prior to their departure from the Imperium explained that the UNSC AIs were not dangerous like the foul Men of Iron, but were closer to a mixture of machine spirits and sentient servitors as they were created from deceased human brains.

After that little misunderstanding, Roland took them on a tour of the Infinity. The ship was twice as long as an Astartes battle barge, the living conditions less harsh, and the corridors were a lot wider. What intrigued the Astartes the most was the Slipspace technology used by the UNSC. From what Roland told them, Slipspace travel is just as quick as, but a lot safer than, Warp transit. After they left the engine room, Roland's sensors picked up both Astartes exchanging some words including "Mechanicus" and "Astronomican".

"And here is our final stop, the S-Deck." Roland's voice droned on as Titus and Cyrus looked around at the various Spartans donning and removing their armor. "This is kind of like a change room for the Spartans. The MJOLNIR GEN 2 powered assault armor is time consuming to put on and take off, even with the most skilled Navy technicians. These machines, controlled by your truly, shave the time down to seconds instead of minutes. If you two want, I can configure a couple of vacant devices to fit your equipment."

"Please do, machine spirit." Titus replied.

"That won't be necessary for me, machine spirit. My scout armor can be easily removed similar to the flak armor and fatigues worn by your troopers and naval infantry." Cyrus replied, avoiding using the word "Marine" to describe UNSC troops.

"In that case, Captain, come on over to 104's station and step in. I'll get to work right away." Roland said. "As a matter of fact, Spartan-087 is over in that area right now. I'm sure she's eager to meet her new teammates."

_Are all UNSC machine spirits this vocal?_ Cyrus wondered as he and Captain Titus followed Roland's directions. A few seconds later, they arrived at a section of the S-Deck where a blue-armored Spartan with a dome-shaped helmet stood.

"Miss 087, your dates are here." Roland said mischievously. "I'm sure they will be much better choices than Fred or John, unless Linda fits your type more."

"Very funny, Roland." Kelly rolled her eyes behind her helmet's visors. "I have no clue how Commander Palmer puts up with you."

"Quite well, actually." Roland retorted. "Just ask her about my friendship with Spartan Miller."

"Anyway, I take these two are the guys who are replacing Fred and Linda for the next six months?" Kelly said as she shook her hands with the two Space Marines. "Chief Petty Officer Kelly-087. Pleasure to meet you."

"These are the two, Kelly." Roland said. "I'll just be configuring one of the machines to fit Big Blue's armor. It won't take that long."

Roland was right, as the machine took less than a minute to configure itself to fit Captain Titus' armor. After he stepped off, Kelly decided to get down to business.

"So, Titus and Cyrus, what kind of weapons are you good with?" Kelly asked. "The armory is right here as well, we can get you two some weapons to replace the ones you weren't able to bring."

"Your offer is greatly appreciated, Spartan. Unfortunately, all of your weapons, except possibly the missile launcher and the flamer, are too small for me." Titus replied. "As for proficiency, I am familiar with all types of melee and ranged infantry weapons as well as some vehicle training. I brought a thunder hammer with me as well a jump pack and a lascannon."

"I'm sorry, a what?"

"A lascannon is an anti-armor weapon that uses a high-powered laser beam to cut through its targets. It is outfitted with an optical targeting system to ensure accuracy at longer ranges." Titus replied. "Furthermore, ammunition is not a concern as the power pack can be recharged by heat."

"Sounds like a Spartan Laser except for the rechargeable battery, pretty damn impressive." The female Spartan asked. "What about the jump pack?"

"A propulsion device that can be fueled by any type of combustible material and allows the user to cross great distances. As all Astartes are required to serve in assault squads for some time as part of their training, every Battle-Brother is familiar with its operation." Titus replied. "It can also be used offensively by propelling a Battle-Brother high into the air and steer him towards a certain point on the ground. The shock wave produced by the fall stuns any foe in the area and gives the user an upper hand to close in and eliminate the foe."

"If only Spartan armor is robust enough to allow us to do that with our own jetpacks." Kelly said with a hint of amazement in her voice. "All right, I'll bite. What's a thunder hammer?"

"A devastating melee weapon mainly issued to a Space Marine Chapter's most experienced veterans and officers that takes the form of a massive hammer." Titus replied as if he was a schoolchild reciting poetry back on Macragge. "A techmarine can give you more details on the inner workings of the weapon, but from what I know, the entire weapon is wrapped in a potent energy field that negates the bonds of matter in the target. The field is discharged upon impact, with devastating results for those on the receiving end, even if the target is an armored vehicle. In my two-hundred-plus years of experience, I have never seen a survivor of a direct impact of a thunder hammer."

"I'd love to see a Brute try to take you on." Kelly said. "In that case, I suppose I don't have to worry about getting you kitted out. What about you, Cyrus?"

"As a Scout Sergeant, I am most proficient with sniper rifles. The smaller profile of my armor does allow me to use your autoguns as well." Cyrus replied. "I am also proficient with grenade launchers and flamers."

"In that case, come on over to the armory." Kelly said. "I'm sure the Infinity has some goodies for you."

**Fortress of Hera**

If Space Marine Terminators amazed Fred-104, he was absolutely shocked at the dreadnought in front of him. Despite the intimidating appearance, it seemed like that dreadnoughts are highly respected by the Space Marines around him. _If we had this technology, then maybe we would have had more Spartans to fight the Covenant._ Fred had the brief thought before clamping down on further nostalgic moments.

"You must be the Spartan, Fred-104." A slow, deep voice boomed from the dreadnought's speakers. "I am Cato Sicarius, Venerable Dreadnought and former Captain of 2nd Company. With Captain Titus' tenure with Deathwatch coming up after these six months, I believe it is my duty to train the next commander of 2nd Company. This is why Sergeant Antonius is here as well."

Spartan and Astartes greeted one another and made their introductions before turning back to the Dreadnought.

"Now that introductions are finished, your training as the Co-Captains of Second company begins now. Regrettably, this means we must leave the confines of Macragge. Come with me, brothers. The Spartan can see an apothecary and a techmarine once we board the strike cruiser."

"Where are we going, oh Venerable One?" Antonius asked.

"To battle against yet another Ork infestation, Sergeant." Sicarius replied. "What place is better to familiarize our esteemed guest with our ways than the battlefield itself?"

"Excuse me, but what are Orks?" Fred asked.

"Orks are one of the most barbaric races in the galaxy. Their sole purpose is to spread mayhem and destruction on every world they encounter. Their techno-sorcery may be crude, but they are extremely deadly. Their bodies are highly resilient and can endure the most grievous of injuries. " The Space Marine Sergeant replied. "Greenskins revel in fighting and do not spare the weak and the innocent caught in their murderous path. What is even worse is that because of their unspeakable method of reproduction, a planet attacked by them can never be truly cleansed unless drastic measures are taken."

"That reminds me, Spartan." Sicarius interrupted. "What manner of weapons are you proficient with?"

"As part of my Spartan training, I have become proficient with all kinds of infantry weapons such as pistols, rifles, and rocket launchers as well as basic experience with armored vehicles. I do prefer to use knives, though."

"Good, good. Very excellent indeed. We shall stop by the armory once we board the strike cruiser. Part of your itinerary is to train with Astartes weapons, afterall. As the Holy Codex says: 'With combat knife, boltgun, and grenade, the Space Marine shall assail his foe. The chainsword is the will of the Space Marine made manifest.' That reminds me, I need to give you a copy of the Codex Astartes so you may learn of our ways of war. Oh, and some of Lord Guiliman's select works..."

**Omnis Arcanum**

_BANG!_

Linda squeezed the trigger of the bolter. Although her shots initially went wide due to the weight and the recoil of the weapon, she quickly compensated and began hitting targets with deadly accuracy.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

More rocket-propelled rounds found their way to the training targets as the Spartan continued to rain fire using the wicked weapon. For the first time in years, Linda was excited about learning to use a weapon. Whereas the UNSC firearms and Covenant weapons felt light and maybe puny in her hands, the Imperial boltgun felt rugged and powerful. Soon, she entered her usual Zen-like state as she simply felt the bolter's weight and recoil roll into her as she fired. In the back of her mind, she wondered how many of her fellow Spartan-IIs would have survived and how many more Covenant would have died if they all had access to this kind of weapon.

After she expended the magazines given to her, Techmarine Martellus handed her a stalker bolter, then an Astartes sniper rifle, and finally a combat shotgun. As Linda went through the firing rites for the weapons, Martellus meticulously logged her performance as measured by the firing range's cogitators. Deep down, in the organic parts of his mind yet to be replaced by the cold and stoic machine, Martellus was impressed. For someone who's used to fighting with autoguns and plasma weapons for her entire life, the Spartan handled bolters well. It seemed like she felt even more at home when given a long-ranged weapon such as a sniper rifle or a stalker bolter. Inwardly, Martellus thanked the machine spirits for working so well with the Spartan. After the Spartan fired off the last of her shotgun shells, Martellus walked over to her with one last piece of equipment he needed to give her.

"Excellent work, Spartan. I see that you are indeed proficient with all manners of weapons, especially the sniper rifle and the stalker bolter. You will make a fine addition to the scout company." Martellus complimented her. "I have one last gift for you, a camouflage cloak that adapts to its surroundings. Now, standard procedure for weapon procurement is that each Battle-Brother is to sign out weapon from the armory based on the needs of the mission. As long as the weapon fits the task at hand, he is free to choose which weapon to use. If you have any questions about equipment you are not familiar with, do not hesitate to contact me or another techmarine. Now, it is time for the evening meal, I shall not keep you waiting."

"Will you be coming as well?" Linda asked.

"The armory needs my tending, Spartan." Martellus replied. "I will engage in nutrient replenishment later."

Feeling slightly unnerved by the way Martellus referred to the act of feeding oneself, Linda bid the techmarine farewell and made her way to the Omnis Arcanum's refectorum. There, she found an empty section of table on the far corner of the vast room and sat down, waiting for the chapter serfs to arrive. Soon enough, one approached her right after she took off her helmet.

"Eat and be strengthened for the Emperor's service, my lady." The robed chapter serf said as he ladled a meat-filled stew into Linda's bowl. Linda could only mutter a silent "thank you" before the serf moved on to the next Space Marine. Back at the UNSC, although the regular troops did treat the Spartans with awe and respect, she had never seen this kind of unnerving subservience from soldiers or civilians. The healthy (or unhealthy) dose of religious language did not help things either. Reading about the Imperial religion was one thing, but to be among true believers was a whole different beast. As she took in another spoonful of the hearty stew, she noticed several Space Marines looking at her. One was the quiet guy who took her to meet Chapter Master Angelos, another was bald and had a heavily scarred face, the third looked like he was the youngest and had short blond hair, and the fourth was also bald, but looked older and had darker skin. All of them wore boots similar to combat boots, simple pants, and tunics adorned with the Blood Ravens insignia. After exchanging some words which weren't picked up by her, the Astartes sat down around her.

"You must be the one who is taking Cyrus' place for the next few months." The youngest Marine said. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Thaddeus, Vanguard Sergeant."

"Captain Tarkus of the fourth company." The scarred bald Marine introduced himself. "I believe you haveve already met Captain Aramus from first company. Aramus, Cyrus, Thaddeus, and myself served together when the Tyranids first attacked subsector Aurelia. We also beat back the Chaos invasion the year after."

"Captain Diomedes of the third company." The darker-skinned bald Marine said. "Cyrus and Tarkus were under my command when we took back the sector from the previous corrupt Chapter Master."

"So you are all old friends with Cyrus, then?" Linda asked. "What about the Techmarine that supervised me in the armory earlier? Martellus?"

"Indeed. We fought side-by-side as brothers against the enemies of man. In fact, Cyrus trained almost everybody who is dining at the moment." Tarkus replied. "Martellus is an old friend as well. He supported us behind the scenes as we battled the Tyranids and the slaves of the Dark Gods. When the situation was truly dire, he also joined us on the field of battle. He single-handedly destroyed ten heretic tanks during the final battle against Kyras."

"I read about that on my way here." Linda said. "A joint assault by what was left of your chapter still loyal to the Imperium, the Imperial Guard, and even temporary alien allies while the subsector was on the verge of total annihilation. This reminds me of John…hang on a second, did you say that Martellus fought alongside you even though it happened more than fifty years ago, and that Cyrus trained most of you?"

"That is did, Spartan. That it did." Tarkus replied in his usual deep, sagely, voice. "No one in this table is under one hundred years old. Even Thaddeus, the youngest of us, has spent almost a century in the Emperor's service. Every initiate must spend at least two decades of training before becoming a full-fledged Battle-Brother."

"And how many battles did each of you fight?" Linda asked without betraying a hint of the growing nervousness inside her.

"As far as I know, no one here has fought less than a thousand campaigns." Tarkus replied nonchalantly, but was slowly becoming aware of Linda's apprehension. "With the Imperium under attack from all sides, none of us dare sleep in peace knowing that the Emperor's people are on the verge of destruction every day."

"I see. Thanks." Linda said before turning her attention to the food.

Linda-058 never doubted her abilities, not because she was arrogant, but because she received the best training the UNSC could offer and prospered. Besides, to doubt would invite hesitation, and hesitation is the difference between life and death for a sniper. With more than thirty years of experience in warfare, her confidence in her own abilities as a sniper solidified, but never to the point of pride. In fact, she saw her skill just as that, a skill; something that should continuously be improved and perfected. Even with that attitude in mind, Linda could not help but doubt her own competence after the Astartes revealed just how long they have been fighting.

_At least a hundred years._ Linda thought as the swallowed another spoonful of food. _And Cyrus trained all of them. Who knows how long he's been around? How am I supposed to fill his shoes for the next half year?_

Linda's train of thought was immediately derailed afterwards by the act of Thaddeus shoving her.

"Spartan, I think Tarkus wants to talk to you" The "young" Sergeant said.

"Linda, I know that look in your eyes." Tarkus said gently. "I've seen it among new Battle-Brothers who doubt their own skills, but it's not a curse. It is a blessing. The doubt you have means that you are not arrogant, that you are willing to learn and improve yourself. Do not let that doubt consume you, but use it to propel yourself to new heights."

"Captain, I can tell that you are a humble man and that you are trying to help." The red-haired sniper replied without a hint of emotion in her voice. "But you said it yourself that even the newest Battle-Brother have fought for at least as long as I have. I just feel a bit out of my league after finding out that I've only served as long as most of your initiates."

"Spartan, think of it another way. Your people fought against a xenos empire that is technologically and numerically superior, correct?" A new voice reached Linda's ears, and she realized that it was Aramus speaking for the first time since her arrival. "From what I've read about your history, your brothers and sisters did not have enough numbers for even half of a battle company, let alone an entire chapter. Though severely understrength, you battled the xenos throughout territory that is the size of several sectors with nothing but autoguns. Even as your fellow Spartans fell one by one, you refused to yield and continued to battle against the foul xenos when lesser men would have broken and ran. Furthermore, you have done something that all of us could not imagine doing in our grandest dreams: you set foot upon Holy Terra and partook in her defense. Do not be discouraged by the apparent lack of years, Spartan. The deeds you have done during the years you do have are what matter the most. Besides, do you really think the Master of the Forge would personally oversee your weapon familiarization drills if he thought you were incompetent?"

"The what?" Linda asked, her eyes wide open with amazement at Aramus' grasp of UNSC history.

"Martellus isn't any techmarine." Tarkus said. "He is the highest-ranking techmarine in the entire Chapter. He could have sent any techmarine or adept to oversee your firing rites, yet he chose to attend to you himself. A Scout Sergeant trained by Cyrus was there the entire time. After you left, Martellus told him that he was impressed by your skills with all the weapons he presented you. Besides, Chapter Master Angelos does not trade Cyrus for a stranger to be among us on a blind whim."

"I see. Thank you, Captains, for your encouragements." Linda replied in the same emotionless tone as before, but she was happier deep down. "I definitely look forward to my time among the Blood Ravens."

"That reminds me." Diomedes said as he swallowed some more of the stew. "We didn't come to you to recite the deeds of our own Battle-Brothers. Tell us more about your wars and the deeds of the Spartans."

**Author's Note: Don't worry, you'll get action in the next couple of chapters.**


	4. To Battle!

Chapter 3 – To Battle!

**Author's Note: As I have been getting some pretty informative reviews for my latest chapter, I figure I would take some time to address them.**

**Eipok: Holy shit, you were right. I re-read through Captain Titus' dialogue, and it felt he was just reciting lines from a script or something. I'll be more careful with his dialogue in the future so he doesn't sound too boring.**

**AncientRaig: I'm glad you brought up the point on how Linda can fire a bolter with ease. I'm going with what I've read on SpaceBattles stating that a fully-armored SPARTAN-II is about as strong as a Scout Marine (on a good day), and those guys can fire bolters with no problem. Of course, Linda isn't the shortest Spartan, so that might also have something to do with it. Also, yes, I do follow up with "If the Emperor Had a Text-To-Speech Device". That show is pretty great. I'll branch into his other videos eventually.**

**Well, onwards with the story. I own nothing.**

**UNSC Infinity – Wargames Observation Deck**

"Commander on deck!" A Marine called out as Sarah Palmer stepped in.

"At ease." Palmer said nonchalantly before setting her eyes on the person she was looking for. "Miller, how's the game progressing?"

"Pretty lopsided, ma'am." The Spartan replied. "Blue is trashing Red pretty badly at 260-32."

"Did Roland screw up and stuck the new recruits together by accident or something?" Palmer raised an eyebrow. "How the hell can the scores be this bad?"

"Actually, ma'am, Red is made up of Majestic and Crimson." Miller replied. "You know? Battle-hardened veterans of our second tour at Requiem?"

"Who the hell is on Blue, then?" Palmer asked, but her gut feelings already gave her a pretty good idea.

"Fireteam Switchback and 'Spartan' Blue." Miller put air-quotes around the word in an attempt at humor. "If you can call that team 'Spartan' because, you know, two thirds aren't Spartans?"

"Don't ever quit your job to become a comic, Miller." The Spartan Commander rolled her eyes. "The Astartes are probably just being lucky in their first game."

"This is actually their fifth game today, Commander." Miller explained. "Red improved even though Fireteam Shadow left after game three."

"WHAT?" Palmer crushed the Styrofoam cup in her hand, oblivious to the spilled coffee on her shirt. "How the hell can you call that score an improvement?"

"Well, in the first couple of games, Blue's score were roughly in the 500s even though Red had the numerical advantage." Roland's voice came over the speakers. "Crimson, Majestic, and Shadow were able to adapt their tactics and, well, die less often. If you want to see how our visitors are doing, just look at the big screen instead of trying to ask for Miller's number."

Palmer let out a grunt of annoyance at Roland's choice of words before setting her eyes on the live feed just in time to see Captain Titus land in the middle of the Red fort. Not only was he unaffected by the hard landing, but several Spartans were knocked on their backs. She saw Hoya pumping round after round of 8-gauge slugs into the Ultramarine. The rounds bounced harmlessly off what appeared to be a shield similar to the ones used by Spartans.

"Why the hell aren't they using plasma pistol overcharge?" Palmer asked in an annoyed tone.

"They tried it several times, Commander. It never worked." Miller replied. "Their shielding seems to work in a different way from the shields on the MJOLNIR armor."

After Titus knocked Hoya out of the fort, he turned his attention to the other Spartans, who were quickly wiped out by Titus' thunder hammer. Two Scorpion tanks used by Fireteam Crimson that were firing on the Blue fort turned back towards their own fort and began to shell it.

"You need at least 10 direct hits from a Scorpion's main gun to actually take down that shield, not that Red ever did that, but they came close." Roland said nonchalantly. "It's not like their armor's ridiculously strong or anything. You know, Titus and Cyrus never actually got 'killed' during these five games."

Barely two minutes after the shelling began, the guns went silent.

"Oh, did I mention that Cyrus is an absolute beast with the Stanchion?" Roland asked sarcastically. "Whatever they feed those guys in the Imperium, I want a lifetime supply of it."

"Well, umm, let's see how these guys can do against the Covenant." Palmer said quickly and nervously. "I'm sure those guys, uh, are going to run into some problems."

"Commander, did you just stutter?" Miller raised an eyebrow, taking his eyes off the sight of Titus charging a Mantis head-on.

**Planet on the Outskirts of Ultramar – Day 5 of Liberation Campaign**

"Devastator Squad Atavian, keep those sluggas on the left flank pinned down while Tactical Squad Fennion readies a grenade volley. Predators 3 and 4, Deff Dreads approach from the South-West." Fred relayed the orders through the vox. "Assault Squad Ixion and Venerable Sicarius, there is a platoon of Auxilia troopers trapped in that farmhouse. Have the Ancient engage the surrounding horde while the assault marines mop up the survivors."

After a week of Warp travel, 2nd Company's strike cruiser finally arrived at the agri-world under Ork attack. Despite the constant nightmares and visits to Chaplain Trajan and Company Librarian, Fred still got his studying done. By planetfall, Fred had learned the most basic of Astartes tactics dictated by the Codex. With the first day of arrival, the Ultramarines and their Spartan guest were already in action. The devastation caused by the Orks reminded Fred too much of a Covenant invasion, if the invasion consisted entirely of Brutes. The memory of Grace-093's death at the hands of those ape-like barbarians still stung, so he fought and lead the best he could, with Acting-Captain Antonius filling in the gaps in experience and knowledge. Although the Battle-Brothers of 2nd Company were initially skeptical at being led by someone who can't even lift and fire a bolter effectively, their doubts were soon dispelled at his courage in combat and willingness to take some close calls for the mission.

"Brothers, contact!" Apothecary Venatio called through the vox as he fired his bolter into the air. Fred looked up and saw 30 Stormboyz along with their Nob flying towards the Command Squad's position.

"Evasive manouvers!" Fred yelled as he ran outwards. The Lions of Macragge were able to move as far away from their original position as possible before the Orks landed with a massive shockwave.

"Kill da humies! Da boy dat krumps da most gitz wins a squigload of teef!" The Nob bellowed as he waved his massive choppa as the stormboys charged outwads. "WAAAGH!"

"Purge the xenos!" Fred channeled his hatred of the Jiralhanae into the battle cry as he motioned with the Lightning Claws on his right hand. "Box them in!"

Honoured Prabian did not hesitate as he charged towards the surrounded xenos, hoping to keep them surrounded or, better yet, dead. He slammed his combat shield forward into a charging Stormboy before stabbing the fallen Ork in the face with his power sword. The force of the stab, combined with the deadly effects of the disruption field, caused the hapless Ork's skull to explode violently and splatter the Company Chamion's ornate armor with Greenskin blood and brain matter. Prabian paid the stain no heed as he lopped off the head of another Ork.

Malcian did not have time to draw his combat knife before the Orks closed in on him, so he simply used his melta as a club to cave in the skull of one Ork before ducking under the swing of another Stormboy's chain-choppa. Then, he lifted the melta with one hand and fired his weapon into the Ork's groin. The Ork did not even have time to scream before the searing hit vaporized everything below his armpits.

Vandius kept his distance as he supported his brothers and the Spartan with precise bolter fire into the fray. A Ork felt particularly kunnin' and jumped behind the standard bearer, hoping to tackle him. The Astartes did not even spare a glance backwards as he flexed his left elbow so that his bolter pointed backwards, and fired two shots. The bolts drilled their way into the Ork's skull before detonating, causing the Ork's head to erupt in a grisly fountain consisting of bone, teef, blood, and brain matter, not that Orks needed much of the last item. Vandius brought his bolter forward once again and squeezed the trigger, only to discover that the magazine was empty. He muttered a prayer to the Emperor as he reloaded and continued to fire.

Apothecary Venatio, like Vandius, supported the other members of the Command Squad from a distance with his bolter. He was the one who examined the Spartan's physiology and was the first to raise objections about the suitability of the Spartan for taking on the role of a Brother-Captain, mainly due to the inferior nature of his implants. As the days went on in the liberation, however, the Apothecary was pleasantly surprised that Fred did not him as much as he previously thought. In fact, the Spartan never required his care simply due to the fact that he fought well enough to avoid injury.

"Guide my aim, O Emperor." Venatio prayed as he fired into the torso of a charging Stormboy, causing the Ork's midsection to explode and shower the surrounding fighters with liquefied organs and the creature's last meal. "And may I never have to perform a gene-seed extraction in this campaign."

Veteran Sergeant Daceus, who declined multiple offers for promotion, lashed out with his powerfist. Any Ork brave or dumb enough to face him were already dead, but they simply haven't realized it. Ork after Ork simply exploded as the Sergeant punched at the xenos, inching closer to the leader of the attackers.

Acting-Captain Antonius grunted as he pulled his roaring chainsword out of the body of a freshly-killed Ork, then turned to his left and vaporized another with his plasma pistol. Like many other brothers, he initially had doubts about the capabilities of the Spartan, deeming him to be little more than a Scout marine in terms of both performance and experience. However, the journey through the Warp and the ongoing campaign slowly changed his mind as he saw that what Fred lacked in raw strength, he made up in effort. Whenever he wasn't visiting the Librarian or Chaplain, the Spartan was either studying the Codex Astartes or practicing his firing rites despite him having trouble with most of the weapons used by the Adeptus Astartes. The fact that Fred could fit into a crowd of unaugmented humans due to his smaller stature was more of a hindrance when trying to use a bolter. Still, the Spartan contributed to the campaign to the best of his ability by commanding and killing Orks with lightning claws, bolt and plasma pistols, meltas, or stalker bolters.

_If he was an Ultramarine, he would have had a very illustrious career._ Antonius thought as he cut another Ork in half. _Terminator honours would be quite fitting for this man._

Chaplain Trajan screamed litanies and curses at the top of his lungs as he swung his Crozius Arcanum at the incoming Stormboyz. When the Orks discovered that shootas didn't work on Trajan because of the conversion field generated by his rosarius, they decided to tie him up in close combat. That turned out to be an even worse idea than just shooting him. Anything caught in the Chaplain's path died a messy death courtesy of the golden Aquila mounted on top of his staff.

In his studies, Fred read about the acts of courage by military chaplains during Earth's past wars, and he personally witnessed the heroism of UNSC chaplains during the darkest days of the war with the Covenant. All those paled, however, compared to the skull-helmeted Astartes' bravery and righteous fury. Although Fred had fought alongside Trajan for 9 days straight, it was still quite jarring for the Spartan to see the Astartes clergyman switch from ministering to refugees to brutally mauling aliens in close combat in just under an hour.

"Join your false gods in everlasting damnation, xeno!" Trajan proclaimed the curse as he executed a legless Ork with his bolt pistol. "You and your kind shall face the ultimate judgment for the sins you have committed against humanity!"

_I should really write down what this guy says._ Fred thought as he gutted an Ork with his lightning claws. _Psy-Ops is going to have a field day with these phrases._

Within the span of a minute, the Ork platoon was reduced to the Nob and a surviving Stormboy, with the command squad surrounding the two in a 10-meter radius circle.

"Yooz gits are all zoggin' worfless!" The Nob yelled as he crushed the last Stormboy in his power klaw and threw away the mauled remains. "Looks like I gets to haff all da fun ta meself."

Before the Ork can do anything else, Malcian shot the Ork in the midsection with his melta while Fred sprinted forward with his lightning claws at the ready. The Nob quickly recovered from having his armor ruined and charged as well. At the last second before impact, Fred used the single advantage his lighter stature and armor gave him over the Astartes: he jumped good.

The Nob had a brief look of confusion on his face as the Spartan sailed through the air, but it was too late to turn or even stop because of his sheer momentum. It turns out that as Fred charged, Prabian was right behind him with his combat shield at the ready. Prabian held the shield in front of him and planted his feet firmly in the ground in a way similar to how members of the Adeptus Arbites conducted anti-riot operations. The Nob smashed face-first into the shield, stunned. Fred, who had already landed by that point, emptied his bolt pistol's magazine into the Nob's jump pack while Venatio and Vantius fired upon the Ork's flanks. The combination of dozens of bolter shells and the jump pack's fuel tank caused a massive explosion. The Nob was reduced to nothing but chunks of flesh that rained back towards the planet's surface onto the Command Squad.

"A most excellent feint, Spartan." Antonius said. "It seems that you understand the spirit of the Codex quite well."

"A lot of the tactics described in the Codex Astartes are quite similar to Spartan combat doctrine." Fred shrugged as he replied. "Besides, the feint would have not succeeded if it were not for your cooperation."

"Sound battle tactics and humility among humanity's defenders?" Trajan chuckled slightly, which was pretty unnerving coming from someone who is wearing a skull helmet. "It appears certain human traits are trans-universal."

"Company command, do you receive?" Fred heard over the vox channels. "This is Scout Sergeant Tellion."

"Go ahead, Sergeant." Antonius replied.

"We have discovered the Ork encampment housing the Warboss conducting operations on this planet. Multiple looted tanks, Deff Dreads, and one Squiggoth. Suspected Weirdboy presence." Tellion's voice crackled over the vox. "Assassination is impossible as we have no long range weapons, and the Orks have captured numerous citizens and Auxilia troopers as slaves. Orbital strike is not recommended."

"Roger that, Sergeant Tellion." Antonius replied. "Standby. Well, Spartan?"

"If we kill the Warboss, the Waagh! will into disarray and infighting, correct?" Fred asked, seeking to confirm his knowledge about the Orks.

"Indeed, I see your studies have been through." Trajan replied.

"In that case, have our forces mop up operations in this area and regroup. We attack at midnight." Fred said. "We cut the head off the Ork's operation here, and the rest will be easier to fight."

"Actually, our operations here are essentially complete." A voice spoke in the minds of everyone present.

"What do you mean by that, Librarian?" Fred asked.

"The Nob you slain appeared to be the leader of the Orks in this area." The Librarian replied. "Immediately after his death, I sensed a massive collapse in the Orks' psychic field, and our brothers in the area have reported that they are retreating from us on all fronts."

"In that case, burn any Ork corpses you can find. Then, have our forces in the area converge and resupply. The rest of the company will remain in their assigned AOs to as before to provide distraction." Fred said. "Sergeant Tellion, stay on site and update us on any changes in the encampment. Relay the coordinates to us as well. We move within the hour."

**Refectorum, Omnis Arcanum**

Before Linda could speak, a chapter serf approached the group.

"Excuse me, my lords and lady." He bowed. "I have an urgent message from Chapter Master Angelos for Captain Diomedes and our esteemed guest."

"Very well, chosen. Recite." Diomedes said.

Linda's eyes widened at the sight of the serf's eyes rolling upwards into his skull. Before she could perform any first aid, Thaddeus put his hands upon her shoulder and shook his head lightly. The Spartan looked around the group and realized that the event was a perfectly normal occurrence.

"Apollo, I have grave news. I have just received a request for aid from the Inquisition. A Hive World in a nearby sector has fallen under the thralls of a Chaotic cult led by a warband known as the Flawless Host." The serf droned on in a monotone voice. "Although Arbites and loyal PDF troops are resisting, they cannot last for long. Return to the Litany of Fury immediately and prepare for departure. The location of the planet has already been transferred to the Battle-Barge's cogitators."

The serf paused briefly before turning towards Linda.

"Spartan, the Master of recruits has assigned three Scout Squads for this mission. Go with Captain Diomedes to the Litany of Fury and convene with Scout Sergeant Priam. He will familiarize you with Scout Tactics. Also, I understand that this will be your first time battling the Ruinous Powers. I urge you to visit the company Chaplain for guidance against the Archenemy. Angelos out."

**Somewhere in the Eastern Fringe – 2 Days Later**

"Brother, I am pinned here!" Diomedes cried over the vox. "Chaos heavy weapons team fire on me!"

"Diomedes needs our help, Initiates. The main force is more than ten minutes away." Linda said as she went to prone and deployed her sniper rifle's bipod. "Have you located the Captain?"

"I see Captain Diomedes, Spartan. Two kilometers out. No obstructions in firing path." One of the Scout Marines reported. "Five-man Havoc team. One Reaper Autocannon, one Heavy Bolter, one missile launcher, one flamer, plus an Aspiring Champion with bolt pistol and chainaxe."

"Roger that, Initiate." Linda replied. "Conditions?"

The Scout Marine relayed to the Spartan the wind and other environmental conditions. Linda and another Scout Marine made their adjustments accordingly.

"Initiate Belus. I will take the one with the flamer, you have the honor of ending their leader's aspirations." Linda ordered. "Fire after the third breath in."

"Roger." Belus grinned slightly at the Spartan's wit, something the five-man squad greatly appreciated. "Target is in my sights."

Immediately after the Belus responded, Linda began the standard breathing procedure for all marksmen, something she began to pass along to the Scouts under her care after branding it as a ritual of preparation. In a way, it was.

_In. Out._

The Autocannon and Heavy Bolter Havocs continued to fire on Diomedes' position while cackling manically. The flamer Havoc stopped to change fuel tanks.

_In. Out._

The Flawless Host Aspiring Champion next to the Autocannon Havoc decided to squeeze off some potshots and yell obscene taunts at the pinned 3rd Company Command Squad. Flamer resumed firing. Missile launcher Havoc started to complain about not getting any action.

_In. Hold._

In a split second, both Spartan and Scout squeezed the triggers on their rifles. Both weapons sent their payloads towards their intended receivers who were unaware of the fate that was about to befall them. Initiate Belus' round found its way squarely into the left temple of the Aspiring Champion mid-taunt, drilling through the ceramite-infused skull and into the delicate grey matter within. The high-explosive round detonated inside the Chaos veteran's skull, showering the Autocannon Havoc with bone fragments, brain matter, and some kind of unholy mixture that an Apothecary later determined to be eighty-percent combat drugs and twenty-percent blood. The freshly-deceased Aspiring Champion, who was missing the entire right half of his skull, was knocked off his feet and actually spun in the air before landing in a crumpled heap.

Just when Belus killed the Aspiring Champion, Linda's round impacted the flamer Havoc's ammunition belt. The armor-piercing incendiary round punctured one of the fuel tanks, through the hapless Havoc's fused ribcage, and exited through another fuel tank. The round failed to hit any major organs in the corrupted Astartes, but it didn't need to. The already-volatile concoction within the compromised tanks soon caught fire. The intense heat produced by the burning tanks spread to the other fuel containers, causing them to combust. Within the span of a second, the Havoc was engulfed in flames before being blown apart in a massive explosion that knocked the Missile Havoc to the ground, drenching the Chaos vehicle killer in some burning flamer fuel that wasn't completely destroyed in the explosion.

"Yes! YES! Lord Slaanesh, I thank you for this glorious burning sensation!" The Havoc laughed as he stood back up while the flames spread all over him, including the large cache of backup missiles strapped to his back. Oblivious about the state of his ammunition, the Havoc continued to gloat and offer his praises to the Prince of Excess.

_He's not doing a single Slaanesh-damned thing to help us crush the corpse worshippers. _The Reaper Havoc was beginning to get annoyed by the Missile Havoc's antics. _After I defile the Loyalist corpses, I am seriously going to shove my autocannon up his…_

The Reaper Havoc's train of thought was interrupted by an explosion that was even more massive than the one that destroyed the Flamer Havoc. The detonation of multiple frag and krak missiles vaporized the Missile Havoc and his weapon while sending white-hot shrapnel all around where he once stood. The two remaining Havocs were peppered with metal fragments and knocked down. As they relished the feeling of being knocked down and the burning pain inside them, Diomedes activated his jump pack and landed in their midst with the Company Champion following suit. Without any hesitation or mercy, Diomedes brought the Hammer of Aramus, previously the Hammer of the Nameless, down onto the Autocannon Havoc's head. The force of the blow, amplified by the sudden discharge of the power field, along with the sheer force of the metal helmet caving in, crushed the Havoc's skull into a bloody pulp that soon leaked out of the seams in the wrecked helmet. Meanwhile, the Company Champion stabbed Alexian's blade into the neck joint of the Heavy Bolter Havoc's power armor. The blow severed the Chaos Marine's neck, and the Champion kicked the detached head away in disgust.

"Captain, this is Spartan-058." Linda's voice came through the command vox channel. "You're clear."

"My thanks, Spartan. Perhaps I shall finally hear of the Spartan's deeds once we finish cleansing this Hive World." Diomedes replied. "Wait, I hear some kind of rumbling, can you see anything from your perspective?"

"Negative, Captain." Linda responded. "Hang on, something is happening to a large pile of rubble to your left, I suggest you and the Command Squad take cover immediately."

As soon as the words left Linda's mouth, the pile of rubble exploded, and a Chaos Predator drove through, backed up by four squads of Chaos cultists and two squads of Chaos Marines. The cultists wore nothing but rags covering their most vital areas, exposing their pierced and scarred skin to the air. The four Aspiring Champions all held bolt pistols in one hand, and long barbed whips in the other. The chunks of bloody flesh on the whips and the wounds on the cultists told Linda what those were used for. To Linda, the two squads of Chaos Marines, in their spike-adorned pink power armor with screaming faces on their pauldrons, were quite tame compared to the cultists and the Predator.

**Especially** the Predator.

The flesh-colored Predator was covered in spikes and various blasphemous iconographies Linda had no way of describing. The longest spikes each had a skinned person impaled on them. Upon taking a closer look, Linda realized that they were still alive. A banner made up of several people that were stitched together stood erect at the rear of the tank, with imagery unspeakable acts tattooed on their skins. It might have been the wind, but Linda thought she saw the banner wiggle and move, as if the unfortunate victims were still living. Seeing a Chaos Predator for the first time, Linda started to feel queasy and lose her focus.

"What do we have here? Lapdogs of the Corpse Emperor wandering the streets like lost little lambs?" A sickly smooth voice came out of the tank's loudspeakers. "Do not worry, brothers; we shall take good care of you. All right, whelps, fire!"

Laughter poured out of the tank's speakers as the entire Chaos force fired upon the Command Squad.

**Author's Note: Dum dum dum. How will Linda fare in her first major engagement against the Forces of Chaos? Will Diomedes survive? Also, I'm thinking of switching up the format of the story. Instead of fitting all three POVs into one chapter, I'm going to devote one chapter to one side and switch it up. For example, one chapter is going to be focused solely on the Infinity, and then the next is going to be focused on Fred, and the one after that for Linda. What do you guys think?**


End file.
